Split (Based on the film)
by underastarlessnight
Summary: The footsteps were getting closer, and every muffled cry from behind the door sent dread spiking in her heart. Squeezing her eyes shut, Betty tightened her grip around Archie and Veronica, and they huddled closer to her. It was weird; buried right at the back of her head, in the crevices or her mind, part of her felt proud herself. She was finally hanging out with the popular kids.
1. Chapter 1

Betty Cooper hated birthdays. Specifically her own. It just celebrated the fact that she was one year older- which meant another year closer to death. Of course, she had tried to explain this to her mother, because she really didn't want to go to Veronica party. She had even gone as far as hiding the bright purple invite under her pillow, planning to dispose of it. But Betty had been too slow, and her mother had found it. Betty should have known hiding it under pillow was a stupid mistake. Now she was screwed. Alice Cooper's words had been spoke in finality, challenging Betty to try and argue back.

 _"You're going, Elizabeth. Why miss out a chance to hang out with your friends?"_

The thing was, it wasn't that Betty didn't like Veronica. The girl was almost impossible not to like. She was the head cheerleader, the prettiest girl in Sophomore year. Veronica reminded her of a goddess with glowing olive skin, sleek dark hair which cascaded down her back, and bright green eyes. Betty was pretty sure Veronica didn't possess the ability to be upset, or angry. Every time she saw the girl, Veronica had this huge grin plastered across ruby red lips that was contagious. But that was the reason why Betty was beyond confused when she plucked the lilac invite out of her locker.

She had barely spoken to Veronica in the two years they had both been at Riverdale High, and now she was invited to her party?

Which lead her to the awkwardest and surrealist birthday party she had ever experienced. It was more like a vivid hallucination, triggered by eating too many E numbers.

First of all, Betty wasn't deaf, despite what Riverdale's rumor mill churned out. Her silence was the biggest misunderstanding in the town since Jason Blossom's 'death' only months prior. The rumors that flooded Riverdale high typically were centered around gossip and scathing untruths.

They were the joking rumors that were created over a basket of fries and a milkshake at Pop's Chock-lit shoppe. Whilst most of the town called it gossip or just a way to pass the time, the blonde haired girl considered them a waste of time and sometimes just plain idiotic. Things like who the most popular boy in school, Archie Andrews, had his luscious brown eyes set on or if new girl Veronica Lodge was really as good in bed as Chuck had told the world over social media were not inherently important but seemed to make their rounds every month of every year. The point was, just like the rumors that flitted around Riverdale High, like an out of control pinball machine, Elizabeth 'Betty' Cooper was most definitely not deaf or mute. Which made Veronica Lodge's birthday party an even bigger disaster than it already was. That was...at least for her. Betty was as usual, the odd one out. While her classmates sat around her, a blur of colourful smiles and echoes of shrill laughter. Except chatter could still be heard, even if an obnoxious DJ was yelling over shared conversions.

Basically; conversations weren't exactly private around the long narrow table Veronica's party of twelve were sitting.

Except clearly Betty's ex best friend Kevin Keller, and Cheryl Blossom, thought otherwise. The two of them were sitting literal centimeters away from her, their heads pressed together as if they were two twelve year olds giggling over a crush. Though Kevin and Cheryl weren't giggling or laughing, they weren't even smiling. Instead, they were frowning at her as if she was a rare disease they were just discovering. Cheryl with a curl on her lips and Kevin far more sympathetic, his green eyes wide.

Kevin Keller had been one of her closest friends when Betty was growing up, but as the years went by, they drifted apart.

It was fine at school, she guessed. She could easily skip class, or pray for it to be over. But here she was in the midst of those exact kids she tried her utmost to avoid. And it was driving her crazy, that even after knowing her since they were all in kindergarten, they still thought she was either blind, deaf or stupid. Because Kevin and Cheryl weren't being discreet in the slightest. Betty could hear them perfectly.

"Honestly Keller," Cheryl Blossom said. Betty hoped the out of tune Katy Perry song still blasting would drown out the rest of her words. "Remind me again why Veronica invited Betty Cooper?"

Her words stung. Betty stared at her lap, glaring at the skater dress her mom had insisted on. It was too tight, clinging to her slim frame. Normally she wore her hair in a strict ponytail, but for the party, it fell in golden waves, tickling her shoulders.

She looked so childish compared to the others. Cheryl Blossom wore a simple red blouse and a skirt, with tights and heels. Kevin wore a collared shirt and jeans.

"I know she's quiet," Kevin replied. Betty could feel his green eyes boring into hers. "But give her a chance, yeah?"

Cheryl scoffed. "The party's over, Kevin!" She hissed. "She hasn't said one word."

"I told you, she's-"

"Mute?" the redhead rolled her eyes.

Betty ducked her head. So much for best friends forever.

In the seventh grade, Kevin had told her that he was gay, and she in turn had gone to the store the next day and with most of her allowance, had bought him a rainbow frosting cupcake, and the two of them had broken it in two, and shared it. Yeah, the cupcake itself had crumbled into bits, but Kevin had had this grin on his lips, and his eyes had been shining, and at that moment in time Betty didn't think anything could ruin what they had. Kevin Keller and Elizabeth Cooper; two peas in a pod.

Until of course, freshman year. When everything crumbled, like the cupcake.

One day they just stopped talking. The brunette hadn't even given her more than a silent, almost sad gaze as he walked by her in the hallway, on the red-headed vixen's heels like an animal, devoted to their owner unconditionally. What she couldn't understand was why he was suddenly the Blossom's new plaything. Only days earlier he had been complaining to her about how the eldest of the two, Jason, was hot but never seemed to care for anyone other than his sister and it was actually sinful. Was he chasing some romance out of a fairy tail or did he just get bored of the quiet girl with the mother who gave him a glare rivaling Lucifer himself every time that his person came anywhere near her?

Whatever the reason was, the girl couldn't help but still scan the auditorium whenever she entered their shared theatre period out of habit.

Betty didn't have anything medically wrong with her, she hadn't had her tongue ripped out or her voice box severed when she was a little girl. Betty was just quiet. Unlike her classmates, she preferred to stay to herself. It was better that way. After all, her mom had always insisted that her education came first before everything else. Including friendship. Betty wondered how exactly she had gotten in this situation. Which was sitting on her own, while the majority of her drama class sat in groups, chatting animatedly to each other. Cheryl's party was coming to a close, and Betty was trying to think over the overbearing pop music blaring in her ears, scathing her skull. If Betty was being honest with herself, Kevin was irritating her. It wasn't just that he had dumped her in eighth grade for none other than Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale High's very own ice queen. Maybe that's why Betty had come today. Not because of her mother's insistent prodding, forcing her into her best dress, and dragging a metal comb through Betty's thick golden hair.

Betty had initially thought it was all a joke. But when she stepped into the bowling alley Veronica's parents had rented out, with her blonde freshly curled and dressed in the nicest clothes she had- a knee-length skater dress while awkwardly holding a gift, which she hadn't really put much thought into; a snow globe.

Well shit, Betty thought, a bit guiltily. It definitely wasn't a joke. The cheerleader's whole family had been there, a huge ball of energy greeting her, shoving different coloured cups of soda in her face, and plates of party food. When she had managed to politely shove through Veronica's overbearing family, she'd finally found the birthday girl herself, and a bunch of selected classmates sitting around a table, singing tremendously off-key what she presumed was the Spanish version of 'Happy birthday!" While Veronica's father held a cake glowing with sixteen candles.

"Betty!" Veronica was in a short red dress that screamed sophistication. While Betty's looked like she'd picked it out of the kids section.

The girl had jumped up and wrapped her arms around Betty, giggling. "Dude, you made it!" and Betty had been too choked up and awkward to say anything else but nod, her cheeks burning scarlet, and sit down shakily.

The next hour went by in a confusing blur of familiar faces, bathed in colourful lights that hurt her eyes. Archie Andrews, a cute red headed boy with broad shoulders and freckles kept offering her cake, and Betty found herself presently scooping up chocolate frosting and shoving it into her mouth. The party had died down a little, and Betty was starting to feel sick. She'd underestimated how much cake she could eat without barfing her lungs up. The other kids were crowded around the bowling alley. Kevin and Cheryl had stopped staring at her with twin looks of impatience and joined the others. Veronica scored a strike, and Archie for reasons unknown, picked the squealing girl up bridal style while the girl laughed loudly, battering at his chest.

There was loud pop music blasting in her ears, an ongoing drone of auto tune and Betty's chest started to pang with the familiar feeling of crushing anxiety. She wanted to join the others, but staying glued to her chair seemed better- more comfortable.

"Yes!" Betty nearly jumped out of her skin. Jughead Jones, who had spent most of the party playing on an antique skeeball machine, let out a howl of excitement. When she turned in her chair, the raven haired boy was fist pumping the air, a grin spread across his lips. Betty had always found the boy weirdly attractive. Weird, because she wasn't sure what it was that made her heart flutter. He wasn't really anything special. He was tall and gangly, with olive skin and a dress sense that she always found comforting. Jughead Jones was almost always wearing overalls, his checker shirt wrapped around his waist and a leather jacket far too big for him. He basically looked like he had changed in a dark closet most of the time, but Betty liked it. She found the boy cute. Intriguing.

Jughead's party outfit was no different. He wore his usual attire with his signature ratty grey beanie she was sure he hadn't washed since kindergarten. When they were kids, Jughead had a rather pointy nose, that had been a key factor of bullying in middle school. But when the boy hit puberty, he got taller, losing his baby fat; greasy locks made way for thick dark curls that fell in deep green eyes, that Betty sometimes found herself lost inside

"Come on, baby!" The raven haired boy was bouncing on the heels of his converse, anticipating his next underarm throw. Betty watched, unable to stop herself smiling. But the ruckus from Archie's strike drowned out Jughead's excited cheer as tickets spewed from the dispenser. The boy held his hands out, cupped, laughing manically.

The whole situation was like a fever dream.

Put the hyperactive screams of her classmates together with the Lodge family clearly having a great time, and the obnoxious pop songs blasting from the radio, the soundtrack to the party became a screech of white noise; the ultimate headache.

The party was supposed to end at 5:00pm and it had been four thirty last time she checked. Betty was starting to consider hiding in the bathrooms when a familiar voice startled her. Twisting around, her heart in her throat, there was Jughead Jones grinning at her, his green eyes ignited- no doubt from his latest skeeball session.

"You enjoying that?" his lips curled into a smirk, and Betty frowned at him, before he chuckled, tracing his own lips with the tips of his fingers.

Then she remembered the cake she'd been scoffing. Betty felt her cheeks glow scarlet and she grabbed a napkin quickly, swiping at her lips and chin.

She expected Jughead to pull a face and back away, but his only grinned playfully, and raised his eyebrows. "I don't blame you, I'm not gonna lie," He leaned forward on his chair. Betty could smell the faint tang of cologne in the air. "It's good cake."

Betty swallowed and could only manage a nod. "It's...nice." she said with far too much pause. But he just giggled, and Betty found herself smiling. Did Jughead Jones just giggle like a little school girl? After gathering far too much confidence in a small amount of time, and maybe she herself was going a little crazy from too much cake consumption, she was about to ask him if he did in fact just giggle. But when she opened her mouth, the music stopped abruptly, while the lights dimmed. Finally the vivid reds and yellows flashing in her face had stopped, and Betty breathed out a soft sigh of secretive relief.

There was a shot of protest from Kevin, echoed by Archie. Man, they were really enjoying themselves.

"Okay, kids!" Veronica's mom spoke up, and Jughead, who was still leaning on his chair, dangerously close to tipping over, rolled his eyes, tipping his head back and laughing. "I swear she thinks we're five years old." he murmured. "What next?" Jughead's gaze slid to hers. "Party bags?"

"Make your way over here for a party bag!"

"And I spoke too soon." Jughead ducked his head. But from the way his shoulders were bouncing up and down, Betty could tell he found all of his absolutely hilarious.

"Come and collect them!" To Betty's surprise, Veronica had started handing out party bags. When she was frowning at the girl, trying to figure out if Veronica was drunk, high or both, the girl waved at her and Jughead. "Guys!" she gestured them over. "Do you want a ride home? My parents have an eight-seater!"

She had no choice. Betty nodded, and Veronica shot her a thumbs up, as if Betty agreeing to a ride home was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Betty's mom was out on a work trip, and she didn't even know where her dad was. Hal Cooper was barely at home anymore. Which she was okay with. He was an ass to her mother anyway, and tried to force her older sister Polly to get an abortion.

As far as Betty was concerned, he could rot.

when Jughead started to shake his head, the girl grinned. "It'll just be my dad driving," she giggled. "The rest are going clubbing."

Once again, Kevin, with far too much energy, seemed delighted at the aspect of sitting in a cramped minivan with a bunch of loopy kids. His grin was almost terrifying. Which baffled Betty to no end.

Betty idly stood by, watching The Lodge family, who she was pretty sure were all steaming drunk, as they grabbed coats and bags, crowding around Veronica. It was definitely cute, she thought, with a small smile. Maybe a bit too cute. Practically tooth-rotting cute. But still sweet all the same. Betty swung her party bag between her fingers, watching everyone clear up. Kevin and Archie were huddled together looking at something on Kevin's phone while Cheryl leaned against the party table, sipping something from a bright orange cup. Betty could bet it was beer. The alcohol was strictly for the adults, but from the sneaky smile on the redhead's lips, she was slurping the devil's juice.

Eventually, it was time to leave, and Veronica lead the group of them, skipping and bouncing out into the cool air. The birthday girl was the only one skipping, however. She was holding hands with Archie, who Betty guessed was being forced to skip. Cheryl had slipped out of her heels, walking barefoot on the gravel, stumbling a little.

Jughead walked beside her, keeping his gaze glued to the ground, his hands shoved in his pockets. The second he had stepped out into the early fall sunshine, the bright smile had been wiped from his face. Betty tried to ignore the boy's rapid change of mood and watched Kevin who was smiling up at the sky, a thoughtful look on his face. It was jarring wandering back out into the sunlight. Betty was expecting to step out into the pitch black. But it was only 5PM. There were people lingering around the parking lot.

Betty kept her head down. She felt like she was five-years-old-again, parading out of Chuck E Cheese feeling sick to her stomach after eating far too much pizza and ice-cream.

When she lifted her gaze and watched her classmates make their way over to Veronica's father's minivan, her lip twitched. They were fifteen and sixteen years old, so why did it feel like they were much younger? Was this all some kind of facade that they had all agreed on to look like the perfect kids in front of Veronica's parents?

"Hey, Cooper! are you getting in?" Archie's voice brought her out temporary reverie. There was a slight breeze playing with her hair. Betty revelled in the feeling. It was a refreshing change from the stuffy bowling alley.

She looked up, frowning. The minivan's side door was open, Kevin was already kneeling on the backseat. He had snatched up the window seat next to Jughead, who looked less than thrilled to be squished between the hyperactive boy, and Cheryl, who was practically screaming down her phone. "Yes, mother!" she rolled her eyes. "Veronica's dad is bringing me home, you don't have to come and get me, jeez."

Jughead sunk in his seat, tugging his beanie over his eyes.

Archie and Veronica were sat in front of them. The redhead was showing the dark-haired girl a video, and she was laughing, but not at the screen. Instead; her bright eyes rested on the boy himself. Betty folded her arms across her chest, letting out a breath. Sitting in the minivan for the hour ride back to Riverdale made her gut twist.

"You can ride in the front with me if you'd like!" Veronica's father shouted from the boot, where he was loading his daughter's birthday gifts inside. Betty nodded and yanked open the passenger side, crawling into the seat.

Leaning back into the comfortable leather seats, she glanced into the side mirror, wincing at the blinding sunlight bouncing back at her. Through the haze, she saw Kevin hung over Archie's seat, grinning at whatever the other two were watching, while Jughead leaned into the window. When he caught her eye for a moment, Betty averted her gaze. But not before Jughead could smile lazily at her. Part of her wanted to ask to switch seats with Kevin, so she could sit with Jughead. But talking to the Keller boy wasn't appealing in the slightest. Besides, to her him she was just Riverdale High's Designated Mute.

Betty really wasn't looking forward to breaking the ice with Mr Lodge.

She found her gaze wandering as she stared into the car mirror, watching the back of Mr Lodge as he lifted brightly coloured boxes into the boot. She considered offering to help, but that would mean moving out of her seat. And her stomach was dancing. Running her tongue over her teeth she regretted the four slices of cake she'd eaten out of pure awkwardness. Betty sat up straight, swallowing hard. Her throat was dry with that oh-so-familiar feeling. Oh god, she was going to throw up. Her cheeks flamed.

Glancing at her classmates to take her mind off the brewing sick feeling, Jughead had come to life, leaning over his own seat to join Veronica, Archie and Kevin. Turning back, her stomach catapulting into her throat, she bit back a groan. Oh god. If she threw up in Veronica Lodges' father's car, she'll never hear the fucking end of it. Glancing at the door, she contemplated jumping out and making a break for the bathroom in the bowling alley. Her heart was hammering, her hands clutching the handle. Betty swore she could taste the sickly slither of undigested cake slowly crawling back up her throat.

There was no way she was going to survive ah hour car ride. Shifting in her seat, Betty gripped the upholstery, cringing. Her bare legs were slick with sweat, sticking to the leather.

There it was again. The unmistakable taste of rancid chocolate cake shooting up her throat.

Betty had already made her decision. She was going to make a break for it. She planned to dash into the toilets in the cubicle, vomit, and then walk home. It was a stupid plan, but anything- anything beat throwing up in The Lodge's car.

She took a deep breath, about to jump out, when the driver's side slammed shut, startling her. Her stomach jumped again, and Betty had to swallow several times to avoid spewing all over herself in that moment. But something was- off.

The others didn't seem to notice, all bent over the Archie's phone. The redhead was laughing loudly, almost obnoxiously.

"Wait, hold on, look at this one! Look at his face!" he was yelling, his smile bright while Kevin and Veronica apparently found it the funniest thing on earth.

Jughead was shaking his head, but smirking. His gaze on the boy's phone screen.

Betty turned to face Mr Lodge, and the words; "I'm going to be sick." were ready to choke out. Except the words never left her lips. Because instead of Veronica's father with his permanent grin and warm eyes, there was a complete stranger sitting in the driver's seat.

Betty blinked rapidly, her limbs freezing up. Her hand was still on the door handle, her slender fingers curled around the metal. At the corner of her eye, the stranger was sitting very still. Dressed in black. There was a balaclava covering his face. When she risked looking at the car mirror, Veronica and the others were still giggling at Archie's phone, and Betty spotted the girl's cake splattered on the concrete by the boot.

When she squinted, she saw a limp olive arm lying in the explosion of chocolate and frosting. For a moment, Betty couldn't move. Couldn't scream. The stranger grabbed the steering wheel with gloved hands and started the car, the engines rattling to life caused her to temporarily come out of her stupor.

She opened her mouth to cry out to the others, but nothing came out. She could only squeeze the handle tightly and silently beg all the gods, that the door wasn't locked.

 _Please._ She begged. _Oh god, please. Please open- please._

Betty was frozen in terror. Beads of sweat ran down her face. Her eyes stung with helpless tears as she watched, petrified, as the stranger pulled out a can of something. Her heart leapt. Gas. She tried once again to scream, but her lungs couldn't produce oxygen. But luckily Veronica's head had snapped up, her eyes clouding with confusion. The boys looked up too, varying expression's of fright flashing on their faces.

"Excuse me?" Veronica said softly. "Who-" she was cut off when the man attacked, quick as a flash, shoving the can in their faces and unleashing a cloud of intoxicating gas that set them off yelling and banging on the windows. Before they succumbed quickly, choking on the gas. It prickled Betty's eyes, stung her throat and made her stomach twist.

Betty watched her classmates fall under one by one. Kevin and Jughead trying to fight back. But battering fists and strangled yells had turned to muffled moans as the two of them succumbed to the gas. It was like watching dominoes. Jughead fell into Kevin, and the sheriff's son's head slammed into the window with a sickening thump.

Veronica and Archie fell forwards, their heads hanging. While Cheryl graciously tipped onto her stomach in the back seat, her red hair spread around her like a halo. Betty wanted to scream at the others, try and shake them awake. But it was impossible.

Her mind was an array of confusion. Except among straying thoughts she managed to identify the drug. It was halothane- an incapacitating agent. Sleeping gas. Betty's mother had been a doctor before her father left. Now she worked for The Riverdale register. Betty had regularly helped out at the clinic, soaking in her mother's diagnosis' to patients. Now, however? Alice Cooper preferred to stay glued to the town's heinous crimes. Throwing away her career. Betty blinked hard. She couldn't think about that right now.

She stayed completely still, fighting against a scream clawing at her throat. She could make it out. She could make a run for it and save the others. Her gaze stuck to the glass of the window, watching stray raindrops slide down the pane.

Her fingers were still curled around the plastic of the door handle. All she had to do was pull it. Then she could jump out, call someone. Get help! But the noise. Oh god, the noise would attract attention.

The gas wasn't affecting her- yet. If the bastard wanted to knock her out too, he'd have to spray her directly in the face. So for the moment, Betty had the upper hand. Except Betty Cooper wasn't brave. She wasn't the spontaneous type, the kind of girl who just thought 'fuck it' and saved the day. No. She was the girl who stayed frozen solid, her heart hammering through her chest, too scared to move. To breathe. She was screaming, but it was inside her mind as if she believed her unconscious friends could suddenly be able to talk telepathically with her. Betty allowed herself to breathe. In and out. Just once. She deserved one breath. Her heart faltered when the man turned back to face the front.

 _Don't see me._ She whimpered. _Don't see me._

 _Don't see me._

She inched closer to the door, pressing her bare knees against the rubber interior. The gas still lingered in the air, a toxic cloud. Betty's chest ached. If she coughed, game over. He'd notice her. Pressing her lips together, she swallowed a sob.

The man twisted around in his seat to check on the others and as he did so, Betty allowed herself another breath. Then she held it once more, tightening her grip on the handle. Do it! Her mind screamed. Outside, the parking lot was empty. Mr Lodge was still lying in the remains of Veronica's birthday cake. Betty risked glancing in the car mirror. The stranger had pushed Archie and Veronica back into their seats, positioning their heads so they weren't drooped forwards. She couldn't help staring. The way his slender fingers held Veronica's face, gently coaxing her form against the window, letting Archie face plant into her shoulder. Was he somehow making them comfortable? So they didn't choke to death on their own vomit?

Betty watched, fascinated, as the man quickly climbed over the first row of seats, his hands moving fast, making sure the others weren't hanging forwards. Her stomach twisted when he clipped Jughead's seat belt over his chest and then sat Cheryl up so she too was comfortably pressed against the window. It was obvious to Betty then, that the man didn't want to kill them- yet. She turned back to her current predicament; the door. Now was her chance. The man was leaning over Jughead's pale face. He looked so relaxed. So helpless. She was terrified she'd never see his eyes open again, or his lips curl into that oh- so satisfying smirk. Betty's grip tightened on the lift. All she had to do was...pull.

It was such a simple action. Yet so much relied on it. She had her own life, as well as four others in her slimy hands, still clutching the handle.

Before Betty knew what she was doing, or before she could hesitate and properly go over her actions, she was yanking the metal handle, and a loud click sounded, and felt like cymbals crashing together, scathing her ears. A wave of nausea swept over her when the door- it didn't budge. She tried it again, fiercely, digging her fingernails into the metal. There was no way out. She was stuck in a car with a madman.

Betty's scream lit up her thoughts, while her lips could only soundlessly mouth the word, the last dregs of hope in her heart flushing away.

 _No!_

She didn't have to turn around to see the stranger move in an almost supernatural manner, it was jarring. He let go of Jughead, and the boy's head fell back into the soft leather of his seat. Like a puppet being cut from his strings. The stranger twisted back in his seat, grabbing for the canister. But with adrenaline rushing through her, Betty was faster.

Part of her wanted to slam her fists into the windows and scream for help, but the rest of her was aching to try and wake the others. Even if that was impossible right now. She ended up doing a mixture of the two. Betty threw herself against the glass of the window, pounding her fists on the glass. "Help!" she screamed. Loud and clear. She was almost proud of how easily her scream carried. Surely someone had heard her? She was finally breaking from her shell, ready to screech if it meant saving herself and the others.

She tried again with the door, yanking at it relentlessly. But god hated her. Because the damn thing was locked shut. After realizing the windows were tinted, meaning nobody outside could see what was happening inside, her heart dropped into her stomach.

Then Betty had no choice but to slowly turn around, and face her kidnapper. There were words on her tongue, ready to spit out. Why? Why them? But once again, she was mute.

The man didn't waste any time, and with the flick a hand, the bright blue canister was inches from her face. She tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. The loopy side of her brain expected Archie to jump up in his seat, Jughead lunging forwards with wild eyes. The two of them would overpower their attacker, and they'd be- they'd be safe.

Except Archie was still out cold against the window, and Jughead was dead to the world.

Betty accepted her fate then, and only stared into steel grey eyes, as a hissing noise sounded in her ears. She saw the cloud forming around her, she tasted it in her throat, seeping through her nostrils, completely incapacitating her limbs. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out, and the world seemed to spin as she joined in, twirling and dancing, laughing; an alternative Betty who had joined in at the party.

But no, she wasn't laughing, twirling or dancing. She was falling. Her last conscious thought was a slightly hysterical 'Ow' as her head hit the metal door handle.

And then she was plunging into sweet, sweet oblivion. And part of her was relieved to join her friends. 

* * *

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed! If you'd like more, leave a review and tell me what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_The school bell was ringing, a piercing metallic screech in her ear, which had never bothered her until now. Which was weird, because Betty didn't remember going to school. When she blinked herself awake, she was standing in front of her locker. She couldn't pinpoint why, but things seemed familiar. Her hands went to her hair, grabbing tangles of gold in front of her face. Her hair was unbrushed, scraggly and stuck to her cheeks. There was a smell lingering in her air, choking her lungs and throat. It smelt like insecticide. Betty covered her mouth and nose with her free hand, jumping back, a startled cry ripping from her throat when she realized her hand was covered in chocolate frosting. Her nails were caked with the stuff, smeared with chocolate sauce._

 _The smell was revolting for some reason, her stomach twisting itself into uncomfortable knots._

 _Something was crying out in the back of her head. Her own voice, perhaps? There was something familiar about the cake, mixing in the air with the sickly smell still clinging to her senses. They both set something off in the back of her skull, filling her body with adrenaline and kick starting the fight or flight instinct._

 _She couldn't freak out yet. Betty had to assess the situation. Drinking around her surroundings, she appeared to be at school. But she didn't remember setting foot inside the place. Besides, it was a weekend. Her memories were vague, and when she tried to pick them apart for clues, they shattered apart, completely unreachable._

 _Looking down, Betty noticed she was wearing a purple skater dress clinging to her. But the dress was tattered, hanging off her in rags._

 _She did a twirl, frowning at the state of herself. She was covered in chocolate cake; brown stains covered the pastel purple material of her dress. Betty hadn't had cake in so long. Her mother was a health freak. Betty ate salad pretty much every day. She ate protein and vegetables- a yogurt if she was lucky. But never cake. Never chocolate cake. So it didn't make sense that she was suddenly covered in it. Much less at school._

 _When gaze fell on the ground, searching for answers, she realized she was barefoot. Her toes wriggled in front of her. Betty looked up, her gaze catching something in the corner of her eye. There was something stuck to her locker._

 _At closer inspection, she realized what it was; a cute handwritten note on lilac paper that had been ripped out of a notebook. Betty squinted, her heart jumping into her throat. She recognized the calligraphy. Her name written at the top. "Betty!" and a smiley face. She reached out with a shaky hand and ripped the note off of her locker. She'd seen this before. Days ago. As she stared at the note, the corridor seemed to burst into life._

 _Kids swarmed by her, but in her blurry vision, she realized she'd seen them before. Kids yelling in the background, a pop song blasting on some senior's speakers as he pushed past her. It hit her like a bolt of electricity, freezing her in place._

 _This was a memory. Monday morning when she had found Veronica Lodges' party invitation stuck to her locker. But she hadn't been in a tatty dress, covered in chocolate frosting- or barefoot. None of this made sense._

 _That pungent smell was still poisoning the air. Betty sensed it still overwhelming her senses, a heavy weight on her chest. The blonde took a slow breath and turned to make a break for it, her bare feet sliding on the marble flooring. She would go home. Yes. That's what she would do. She'd curl up in bed, cry into her stuffed animals matted fur, falling asleep- hopefully waking up from whatever this was._

 _But when Betty turned to run, spying the exit down the hallway- it seemed to be shrinking, slowly closing, freedom being pulled further and further away._

 _"Hey!" a voice sounded out in her ears, but it seemed to be out of sync with the speaker._

 _Archie Andrews, captain of the football team was standing in front of her, a huge cheesy grin on his face. But there was something wrong with-_

 _Betty bit her lip, suppressing a scream. The boy, like her- was covered in chocolate frosting. It was all over his face, flecks of it in his ginger hair and stuck to his lips. It was staining the shirt glued to his chest. When he reached out a hand for hers, his fingers were grimy, like he hadn't bathed in days. Weeks. But that same sickening smell attacked her senses, making her stomach twist into knots._

 _She stared at Archie, waiting for him to disappear. But he only stood there, smiling brightly. This hadn't happened in the memory. It was far too surreal, too messed up. The type of disjointed nonsense that struck her nightmares. Besides, Archie wasn't in his usual Letterman jacket. Instead he wore filthy, discoloured clothes that stuck to him._

 _Yet here the boy was, still grinning wildly at her._

 _"Are you coming to Veronica's party?" his voice echoed in her ears, and before she could answer, the boy was grabbing her hand and yanking her down the empty corridor. Betty realized she couldn't move, never mind try and rag herself from the boy's grip._

 _The corridor was becoming more and more narrow, seemingly closing in on her, suffocating the both of them. The toxic smell was getting progressively stronger in her nose. She choked on it as the two ran for a door that seemed to be getting further and further away._

 _"Hey!" Betty tried to yell. But she had no voice to scream with. The world seemed to tip and twist around her as she ran. But Archie was no longer grasping onto her hand for dear life, and she was tumbling out of the doors, straight onto her knees. But she didn't feel the impact with the ground. A loud bang startled her, the door slamming shut._

 _"Betty!" She twisted around to find the boy slamming his hands on the glass, his expression twisted with fright. "Betty, help!" Once again his voice was out of sync with his mouth movements. Betty threw herself into the door, yanking at the handle._

 _Except it wouldn't budge. And with that feeling, came a rush of Deja Vu hitting her like a wave of tumultuous water._

 _The door...the door! She couldn't get the door open...Archie's muffled cries started to die out, becoming muffled, like there was cotton wool stuck in her ears. Her surroundings started to fade away, falling away into nothing- darkness. And she was left on the brink of consciousness, clawing for reality. The real world where she was now. Oh god, where was she?_

 _There was a moment of silence, almost a relief from the nightmare, and then instead of Archie's cry, there was someone else's entirely. It sounded - felt...so close. But Betty felt herself lying down- in her bed? How was that person in her bedroom? She raked her mind for a name, a face. But something was blocking her way through; a mental barrier._

 _The sound seemed to be slowly seeping back into her senses, getting stronger- louder, until she could identify it._

 _"What the hell is he going to do to us?!" It was slurred, but she could just about recognize it. Kevin. Whether it was her foggy mind coming back to fruition, or the boy's drug-induced mumble- she wasn't sure._

 _Betty felt herself lying on something soft- she smelt the strong tang of antiseptic and the faint scent of her own strawberry scented shampoo in her hair she could feel glued to her face._

 _And then it was all coming back to her. The party. Veronica. Jughead. Chocolate cake._

 _The door! Oh god, the door she couldn't open. A blue canister shoved in her face, and...the world falling away. The memories flickered like a broken VCR in front of her eyes. A dull throb inched its way across Betty's forehead and a thought struck her automatically. Even when her aching body wanted to stay curled into the foetal position on soft sheets, she could feel it crawling up her throat; that long-delayed vomit she could taste in her mouth, on her teeth. Betty could see the memory clearly, sneaking up on her, haunting her mind._

 _Multiple slices of cake in front of her, oozing with whipped cream and rich velvet sauce._

 _With a silent cry, she sprung up, her stomach dancing. Sweaty strands of gold dangled in her eyes, as she emptied the contents of her stomach all over the person lying next to her._

* * *

"Disgusting child."

Betty stopped retching when the man spoke in a low grumble in his throat. It was the stranger who had kidnapped her, taking her and a bunch of her classmates in broad fucking daylight. The bastard who had gassed her, yanking her from her life, into a living nightmare, and she was sharing it with kids she barely knew. Finally, he had a voice. An identity. Which made him a thousand times scarier. For a moment, Betty was too scared to lift her head. Her neck ached. No, everything ached. Her entire body was exhausted.

When Betty looked up, blinking through foggy vision, she was looking at Cheryl Blossom kneeling next to her, the pretty red blouse the cheerleader had been wearing, which had looked amazing at the party, was now covered in her puke. She might have apologized, but from the petrified look on the girl's face, Betty wasn't sure if the girl had even noticed she was covered in bits of undigested cake.

The redhead had a far-away look in her eyes, her hands clasped in her lap. Next to Cheryl, this time stood up, his back pressed against the wall, was Kevin. The boy too was a victim of her puking episode. The watery slurry was splashed against his pale cheeks, his eyes wide in horror, lips curled in disgust. The boy looked like he was petrified into place like Cheryl. Maybe the man actually speaking had that effect on everyone.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." The man growled, and shivers tingled up and down her spine. Betty saw Archie and Veronica knelt on a ratty cot opposite her. Archie had his arms wrapped around Veronica, holding the girl to him. His gaze was on the man, and then her. Flicking between them like an out of control pinball machine.

"Answer him." Archie mouthed. His brown eyes were desperate. Veronica was sobbing softly, her gaze on the pristine bed sheets the two were laying on.

Betty didn't dare look up and face him. But it felt like everyone was waiting on her as if she was the naughty kid in class who was being singled out. She could tolerate it at school. Because school ended. She was only a willing hostage for six hours a day. But here, trapped in what looked like an underground bunker. Betty had been dragged from her comfort zone. She swallowed a mouthful of bile and forced herself to look at him. At the corner of her eye, Kevin moved slowly, carefully, before sitting on the edge of the bed her and Cheryl were laying on. He let out a shaky breath, bringing his knees to his chest. The boy hadn't bothered wiping his cheeks or neck. He simply stared into oblivion, in a similar state to Cheryl.

"Betty!" Archie hissed, snapping her out of it. She jerked her head up and nodded quickly, finding herself staring at a six foot something stranger, now wearing a surgical mask around his mouth and nose. He glared at her through cold, grey eyes. There was nothing there. No glimmer of life or sympathy. His expression was stoic.

Betty couldn't look away. She was too afraid to. And that's when she realized there was something, or rather...someone draped over the man's shoulders. Her mind was still an array of fog and confusion, but she recognized the black skinny jeans automatically. They were kicking relentlessly, booting the man. But the stranger didn't even wince.

Jughead. The man had the boy's struggling form over his shoulders. Betty felt her heart start to hammer, but when she caught Archie's eye, he subtly shook his head. Don't. His dark eyes mentally screamed at her.

"Get changed." The man ordered. Betty frowned at him in confusion, before a bundle of something soft hit her in the face. Her stomach twisted when she realized what it was; a pasty white t-shirt and shorts. She held onto the clean clothes, her cheeks an inferno.

"Did you not hear me?" He grunted. "You're covered in sick, child. You need to get out of them filthy clothes before I even start to begin my tests."

Tests? Betty suppressed a frustrated cry. What tests?

"I'm not.." she chose her words carefully, avoiding the man's steely gaze. "I'm not getting- getting changed in front of everyone." she sounded like a child, like a helpless little kid. But the idea of changing in front of Archie, Kevin and the girls- hell, even Jughead. Even if he was dangling from the man's shoulders. It made her want to throw up again. Betty swallowed the scream clawing in her throat; a yell for help, to get away from them- to let them all go before she...before she what? But she had to think. If she could somehow get out of the room, there might be a way out.

"Do you have a bathroom?" she whispered, trying to ignore Kevin's narrowed Jade eyes as his head jerked towards her.

He mouthed something she couldn't decipher.

Even when they had been kidnapped by a psychopath, he was still being an ass.

It wasn't the first time Betty had been mute. Freshman year, her first day. She had been so overcome with anxiety and paranoia, she hadn't spoken to a single person. Her voice had been choked up at the back of her throat all day, and it physically hurt to use it, crying to her mother the following night. Betty felt exactly the same as she watched, frozen in fear, as the bald stranger lunged forwards, grabbing Kevin and dragging him to his feet, ordering Cheryl to do the same. The redheaded girl didn't hesitate. The man wanted them to get changed too, like her. Betty clutched her own clean clothes, her cheeks still burning scarlet. Her choked question still hung in the air, unanswered.

There had to be a bathroom. Is that where the others were being taken? Betty's gaze turned hyper-vigilant as she took in her surroundings. They were in what looked like a basement, with- she squinted. The walls had been recently rejuvenated. Her heart fluttered a little with hope. If she could somehow get through the drywall, there could be a chance of escape. She lifted her head, frowning at the ceiling. There was a vent above them, and she bet if the tallest of them- Kevin or Archie- stood on one of the cots, they'd reach it.

Cheryl jumped up, almost as if in a trance. She had her arms wrapped around her chest, hugging herself. Her blue eyes were wide and unseeing, unblinking. She only marched towards the door, following the stranger as he violently yanked an unwilling Kevin, who was hissing like a snake, digging his feet into the floor. Jughead had given up struggling and was instead silently hanging from the man's back.

Unbelievably, Kevin seemed to be the troublemaker now, hissing out threats that didn't make sense, begging to be let go. Betty had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out the boy's name when the man pulled out a needle and stabbed it dangerously close to Kevin's neck. The boy stopped struggling and dragging his feet, and stood up a little straighter. His attention flickered to the helpless boy still draped over the man's back. Kevin boy was frowning, biting his lip- as if in frustration. It almost looked like they were telepathically talking to each other.

"Alright," the man growled. "You three are coming with me," he addressed Cheryl, Kevin and Jughead. He faced the rest of them, and Archie glared back. Veronica sobbed into his chest, and Betty tried to not look suspicious. But her heart was singing! If they were smart about this and managed to overpower the bastard- they were home free. Betty forced a nod at the stranger, while the others stayed silent. "Right, okay then. Come along." the man this time grabbed Kevin by the scruff of his shirt collar, and the boy squeezed his eyes shut as he was ragged out of the room, Cheryl following him. The redhead reached for his hand, grasping for it. "Oh, and one more thing!" the man turned, removing the mask over his mouth and nose. He was grinning. Betty swallowed. "The first sign of you trying to escape will trigger the sleeping agent I've fitted this room with. If one of you even comes near this door, the room will fill with gas, and you'll be knocked out."

"What?" Archie let out a soft whimper, and the man laughed. "That's right, my boy! If you disobey me in any way or refuse to do what I say- I sent you to Pluto."

The man's words made Betty want to scream and wring his neck.

Surely he was playing around with them, But she wasn't going to test the theory. If she was right about the drywall, they might be able to escape without even using the door. Kevin meanwhile, looked horrified at the prospect of the room being a gas chamber. But before Betty could try and communicate something to him, the door was slamming, and finally, they were alone. Betty could still hear muffled cries from behind the huge steel door. Cheryl was crying.

The second Betty was sure the sobbing had faded out, and the man was gone- she jumped up, all the blood rushing to her head, her legs threatening to give way. The blonde stumbled over to the far wall. Archie sprung up, gently tugging Veronica with him. "What are you doing?" he murmured. He hissed out a breath when she scrubbed at the walls with her fingernails.

"Betty" he moaned. "You heard what the psycho said."

"Drywall," she whispered softly, ignoring him. "If we can make- some kind of hole..." she was tripping over her words as her other plan came to fruition. "Or you can stand on the bed?" she pointed to the ceiling, breathing hard. Her eyes were stinging with tears, she was exhausted. But she had to escape. THEY had to escape. Archie blinked back at her in confusion, and she let out a frustrated breath. "If you stand on the bed, Archie," she hissed, irritated at how oblivious he was. "You can reach the vent, and we can get the hell out of here!"

The boy, however, was shaking his head. "Betty, you heard what he said, right? He'll gas us if we try and escape!"

Betty sucked in a breath, before letting it out. She felt sick again. "He was talking about tests," she said softly. "On us, Archie! Do you want to be a human guinea pig?"

She knew what the boy's answer would be. Archie opened his mouth to answer, his brown eyes hard, lips twisted into a scowl. Betty might have continued to scratch at the wall, digging for a way out- but a high pitched yell caught her off guard, and Veronica grabbed both her and Archie, huddling into them. Archie didn't move. He only tightened his grip on the two girls. Betty wanted to break free because she knew the voice. It was Kevin. Then a moment later, it was Jughead. Then Cheryl. The three of them were crying out as if being individually shocked with bolts of writhing electricity. The cries were echoing down the corridor and Archie winced, ducking his head. Veronica let out a soft sob, and Betty forced herself not to let go of the others and plug both her ears.

She wanted to help them. But Archie was so warm, so comforting, and her body was so tired. So deprived of energy. She wanted to stay in that position forever.

Eventually, Archie broke the silence, his voice shaking as footsteps began to pound outside. Getting ever so closer. Running footsteps. Betty stiffened, huddling closer to two kids she'd barely communicated with until now. Archie had never sounded so helpless, so damn terrified. What with his usual Bulldog battle cries in the school corridors.

It was almost jarring to Betty.

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

Archie's words sent Betty's mind into a tsunami of thoughts hitting her like a wave of icy water. She felt it envelope her all at once, and her legs grew heavy. She wanted to scream, cry- beg for mercy. Because the boy's words suddenly sounded...right. It made sense that when the bastard would grow bored of playing with them, as if they were his little rag dolls. He was going to kill them. Archie's words should have sent her into denial, but instead Betty felt swamped with emotions, crashing into her like tidal waves. They were going to die. Oh god, she was going to die at sixteen years old.

Betty clung onto the others. She couldn't freak out. Not yet. "We're not-" She held her breath and slowly straightened up. "We're not going to die." she was surprised at her own words that sounded so calm- so bold. So unlike her.

The footsteps were getting closer, and every muffled cry from behind the door sent dread spiking in her heart. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tightened her grip around Archie and Veronica, and they huddled closer to her. It was weird; buried right at the back of her head, in the crevices or her mind, part of her felt proud herself. Hell. She was finally hanging out with the popular kids. Betty lifted her head, squinting at Archie and Veronica clinging onto each other for dear life. Her head of scraggly locks was nestled in his chest. He was softly murmuring to her- the birthday girl who had been thrown into a living nightmare.

They're okay. Betty thought desperately. The others are fine. Jughead, Kevin and Cheryl are okay, and everything was going to fine. She whispered it to herself in a rush of panicked breath. Except she knew she was grasping at straws, trying to find some kind of positive. "We can…" Betty swallowed more bile creeping up her dry throat, when Kevin let out another yelp from outside. "We can overpower him!" She pulled away from the others and staggered over to the door drunkenly, her balance was off. Her head was pounding, her stomach galloping. But she was once again in fight or flight mode; sink or swim, live or die. In this case, it was risk her life, and the others; just to get the hell out.

Archie followed her to the door. "Are you crazy?!" He hissed, grabbing for her arm. Betty winced. His hand was ice cold. The boy had never looked so scared, his brown eyes wide with terror, frustration and anger. "Betty, have you been conked on the head?" The boy yanked her away from the door, and she stumbled, nearly crashing into him. "The man said, if we try and escape, he will gas us," Archie didn't let go of her arm, holding it in a vice grip. His teeth were gritted, eyes ignited. "Do you want that to happen?"

Betty was too weak to pull out of his grasp. "There are three of us, and one of him!" She said through her teeth. "If we can just-" though her words got caught in her throat when the door flew open, and Archie and Veronica staggered back, the redhead pulling Betty with him. The man strolled in with a satisfied smile spread across his lips.

Betty waited for him to drag three motionless bodies inside the room. But when he clicked his fingers, Kevin stepped inside the room, his head bowed. He was no longer struggling or yelling. Instead, his hands were shoved into the pockets of clinical white shorts. He was wearing a matching cotton t-shirt, and she swore his head of chocolate hair had been combed.

Jughead was behind Kevin in a similar stance, wearing the same clothes as the boy, and a disheveled looking Cheryl as stumbled in before face planting the nearest cot, burying her head in the silk pillows. Jughead, unlike Kevin, held his head high. His brown hair falling in his eyes. When the boy scanned the room, he met her gaze, and the wild and rebellious gleam she had instilled so much hope in had been completely distinguished. Jughead moved like a robot obeying his master's commands. While Kevin looked like a moody teenager, shuffling along with his arms tightly around his chest, hugging himself.

Once the three were inside the room, Jughead sitting on the floor with his head between his knees, Kevin leaning against the wall with his arms folded, and Cheryl sobbing into her pillow- the man finally smiled brightly at them. Betty noticed his expression was- it looked like he was glitching? His face was contorting, steely eyes turning childish, as he spread out his arms.

"Welcome!"

* * *

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